The present invention relates to a means by which individuals can experience both Visual and Physical immersion (i.e., Total Immersion) into Virtual Environments (VEs) by performing human locomotive characteristics such as walking, running, crawling, jumping, climbing, etc. in a stationary or confined space while visually interacting with a Virtual Reality (VR) system and physically interacting with the Electromagnetic Locomotion Platform (ELP).
VR has been proven to be a very useful and beneficial science and currently is being used to help people overcome the fear of heights, fear of flying, and as training devices for pilots of all kinds of vehicles; tanks, planes, helicopters, etc. Current VR systems are used to allow pilots of vehicles the ability to totally immerse into VEs. These pilots are fortunate because the three most critical senses required for total immersion are already built into the vehicle itself. Sight, sound, and touch are the three most critical--smell and taste could also be considered but are more of a fine sensory stimulus and are to be considered as having a secondary level of impact on the human's immersion believeability factor. For example, all of the following components are necessary for a human to operate a vehicle in the real world:
a) Vehicle--contains the cockpit and permits freedom of movement over terrain or through space depending upon vehicle capabilities (Touch). PA1 b) Cockpit--is the operators compartment in the vehicle and contains all control functions for manipulation of the vehicle in it's environment (Touch). PA1 c) Controls--allows the pilot to input control commands for operation of the vehicle (Touch, Sight & Sound). PA1 d) Windshield--is the pilots window to the external environment and allows him to make decisions for control input based on visual stimulus from the outside environment (Sight). PA1 e) Support Systems--includes all computers, control systems and subsystems, and physics based devices which provide all the ancillary functions to operate the entire vehicle from the operators commands and physical limitations of the vehicle (Sight, Sound & Touch). PA1 a) Vehicle=Mobility Platform: A device which allows the human to have all of their locomotion activities done in one location and allows the human to interact with a VE (Touch). PA1 b) Cockpit=Human Interactive Zone: The human itself is basically the cockpit, because of the controls located on the body and in the Human Interactive Zone (HIZ) (area where the human can perform mobility functions and remain within the control parameters and boundaries of the VE system) (Touch). PA1 c) Controls=Controls: Instead of the controls being mounted to the vehicle they are now an integral part of the human or are located in, on, and/or around the HIZ (Touch, Sight, & Sound). PA1 d) Windshield=Visual Interface: This can be any number of devices such as a Helmet Mounted Display (HMD), rear projection screen, or any means of displaying graphical information to the human's visual senses (Sight). PA1 d) Support Systems=Support Systems: Includes all computers, control systems and subsystems, and all mechanical, electrical, physics based, etc. devices which provide all the ancillary fuinctions to operate the entire VB system i.e.; providing graphics, logic controls, motion controls, timing, sequencing, etc. (Sight, Sound & Touch)
As is evident in the above example, for a VE dealing with a human inside a vehicle, all of the interfaces are provided for just by the nature of the situation; the human is stationary in the cockpit of the vehicle, has a graphical interface around him (windscreen, canopy, vision blocks, and the like), and has controls within his reach for manipulation of the vehicle through the VE. However, when trying to replicate these same functions for an infantryman or human navigating over the ground who has no stationary cockpit, no graphical interface (windshield), no control mechanisms, and no vehicle support systems; the problem of immersing this individual becomes much more complicated. A review of the same components for the infantryman as compared to a human operated vehicle breaks out as the following:
Current technology can provide a fairly good graphical or visual interface by using HMDs or other devices as previously mentioned, the real problem is to provide the foot soldier with a platform and controls. The infantryman is mobile, not confined to a cockpit, and is able to perform a multitude of different physical locomotion movements--his platform is essentially the ground he stands on. Controls for the foot soldier do not exist--he does not interface with any ancillary equipment to move about, he uses his brain and limbs to navigate and be mobile on the battlefield.